Category: Major Maryland Cases

The Court of Appeals reaffirmed Maryland’s long-standing doctrine of contributory negligence in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia. Judge Eldridge wrote for the majority, while Judge Green concurred separately with three other members of the Court joining, affirming the capacity but not the wisdom of the Court’s alteration of Maryland law on this point. Judge

In Martens Chevrolet v. Seney, 292 Md. 328 (1982), the Court of Appeals affirmed the existence of a tort of negligent misrepresentation in Maryland separate from the tort of fraud/deceit. The Court interpreted the record in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs in rendering its ruling, since the trial court entered on the count of negligent

The Court of Appeals of Maryland decided in State v. Werkheiser, 299 Md. 529 (1984), that the failure by the police to administer an alcohol test properly as mandated by statute in a drunk driving case did not mandate the dismissal of the charges, but did justify to the motorist a favorable inference about what

Newer Maryland attorneys, this is the case to which the “old-timers” in your office may reference as the “slug” case. Every Maryland attorney needs to know this case. In Fellner v. Bar Association of Baltimore City, 213 Md. 243 (1957), the Court of Appeals disbarred an attorney based upon proof that he had employed slugs

In Owens-Illinois, Inc., et al., v. Zenobia, et al., 325 Md. 420 (1992), the Maryland Court of Appeals enunciated a “malice” standard for punitive damages in Maryland. Plaintiffs Zenobia and Dickerson in the original cases were victims of asbestos exposure and sued several defendants who produced, supplied or installed products containing asbestos. At trial, the only

Important Note: The Law Office of Bruce Godfrey takes no position as to the legal, political or social merits of recent “occupy” political demonstrations such as “OccupyBaltimore” or “OccupyWallStreet,” and is not a participant in such demonstrations. The purpose of this post is to discuss law that may be relevant to such news events. Also,

Boyce Atkinson was charged with driving while intoxicated in Harford County. His attorney at trial agreed to with the State to a not guilty statement of facts, recounting that Mr. Atkinson was found slumped over in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition and engine off. Upon being awakened by the officer, Mr. Atkinson

This post is one of a series addressing major cases in Maryland’s appellate courts that, in the author’s view, every Maryland practitioner of law should now. Few criminal cases in Maryland have had the practical impact for prosecutors and for defense counsel that State v. Hicks, 285 Md. 310 (1979) has had since that decision

This is the first in a series of important legal cases which, in my judgment as a practicing Maryland attorney, Maryland attorneys should simply know cold, be able to cite them almost from memory and have them as close to their fingertips as we do major U.S. cases like Brown v. Board of Education or